Golfers Uihein, Dunne to play in Indian Open

Peter Uihlein and Paul Dunne, who had stellar amateur careers before turning professional golfers, will be among the names to watch at the 52nd Hero Indian Open starting here on Thursday.

'

Riding on three successive top-10 finishes, Uihlein who first appeared in India in 2012, may well be a challenger on Sunday.

Dunne stunned the world by holding a 54-hole lead at the 2015 British Open while still being an amateur at the St. Andrews, Old Course. He ultimately finished tied 30th and later turned pro and finished tied 19th at Dunhill Links and began this year with his first Top-10 as a pro at the Joburg Open.

He was also a member of the winning Great Britain & Ireland team in the 2015 Walker Cup.

When Uihlein, former world No. 1 amateur, tees-up for the opening round on Thursday, he will be re-establishing his old India connection. He played here in 2012 at the Gujarat Kensville Challenger where he finished tied 12th. The next year, the 27-year-old American golfer got his first European Tour victory at the Maderia Island Open in Portugal.

As an amateur, he was a member of the winning United States team in the 2009 Walker Cup when he created a 4-0 world record.

This season Uihlein was tied ninth at Maybank Championships Malaysia and tied fourth at Perth International and last Sunday he finished fourth at the True Thailand Classic.